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Mavs aim for 6th straight win in see to Wizards

The Dallas Mavericks opt for their 6th straight win when they check out the Washington Wizards on Thursday night.

Dallas won for the ninth time in 10 games when they beat the checking out Memphis Grizzlies 121-116 on Tuesday night to advance to the knockout round of the NBA Cup.

The Wizards have lost 15 straight video games after an 118-87 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers that left going to Washington 0-4 in Cup play and removed in the group phase for the 2nd straight season.

The Mavericks had more turnovers (11) than made baskets (10) in the 3rd quarter versus the Grizzlies however rallied from a 15-point, fourth-quarter deficit for the win.

Spencer Dinwiddie scored 16 points off the bench and struck back-to-back 3-pointers to offer Dallas a 116-111 lead with 1:09 left as the Mavericks ended the game on a 15-5 run. Dinwiddie hit 5 of 10 shots in 25 minutes, consisting of 3 of 5 from 3-point variety.

Dallas won regardless of 25 turnovers and 14 missed out on totally free throws.

I thought the group did a great task of staying together, Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd said. There was a great deal of positivity on the bench. We just kept battling. (We had) a great deal of turnovers-- things that we haven't been doing. But the team stayed together.

Luka Doncic led the Mavericks with 37 points, providing him 73 in his previous two video games, and added 12 rebounds with 4 takes. He shot 11 of 22 from the field, consisting of 5 of 9 from 3-point variety. P.J. Washington scored 18 points, and Dereck Lively II had 17 points, 11 rebounds and three blocks.

We can fight, and we understand we can fight, Lively stated. We all lean on each other to attempt to play the best we can.

The Wizards did not set up much of a fight against the Cavaliers, suffering their most uneven loss in a season of losses. Washington is one loss away from tying the franchise record of 16 straight defeats (set two times, a lot of recently last season.)

Jonas Valanciunas, Jordan Poole and rookie Bub Carrington scored 13 points for Washington, and Valanciunas likewise grabbed 11 rebounds in 19 minutes.

Washington devoted 8 first-quarter turnovers and tracked 35-20 after 12 minutes. The Wizards cut the deficit to 10 in the 2nd quarter before the Cavaliers went on a 10-0 run.

The first quarter they came out and hit us in the mouth, Wizards coach Sheldon Keefe said. I believed we fought back at the start of the second quarter.

The Wizards shot 38.6 percent from the field and 15.4 percent from 3-point variety while committing 21 turnovers.

We probably played in crowds excessive, Keefe said, and then we did miss out on some wide-open shots.

In addition to the loss, Washington was banged up as well. Novice forward Kyshawn George and guard Corey Kispert each continual sprained left ankles in the second quarter and were eliminated. Guard Malcolm Brogdon exited in the 3rd with best knee soreness.

The Mavericks took both meetings in between the groups in 2023-24, winning 130-117 in Washington behind 31 points from Tim Hardaway Jr., and then 112-104 in Dallas as Doncic and Kyrie Irving each scored 26 points.

-- Field Level Media

(source: Reuters)